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Rocket engineers hope to compete in global launch contest

A bunch of budding rocket engineers are hoping to take part in a special competition in the USA.

Students from Cranfield University are designing their own space rocket, which they hope to launch into the skies above the US later this year.

Members of the University’s CRANSeds society ( Cranfield Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) are taking part in a project to design and develop a rocket for the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), which will take place in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in June.

The space industry has become big business. Commercial firms like Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, and Space X have been working with NASA on a variety of projects.

Earlier this month Elon Musk's Space X Crew Dragon ship - which will eventually be used to ferry astronauts into space from US soil - underwent a successful test flight to the International Space Station

The CRANSeds students need to raise around £15,000 to enable them to take part in the competition, and are looking for donations from businesses and individuals to help them achieve their aims. For more information, please visit their fundraising page: